How to mark territory?

The future of our "global village" lies in the hands of territorial brands

Nov 19, 2013

Territorial branding : far more than a logo

In these
times of continuous streams, trade liberalization and free movement of
inidviduals, administrative and geographical borders tend to fade away, leading
to the redefinition of the idea of territorial space. The current context of a
weakened macroeconomic and geopolitical situation has encouraged the local and
regional authorities to communicate on their competitive assets, to stand up on
an international stage. We’ve witnessed the emerging development of specific
identities for countries, cities and regions, positioning themselves as brands.
Saying this, destination branding is not a new trend, or an umpteenth fad of
the communications industry. The first initiative of this kind was launched in
1969 by the State of Virginia in the US ; « Virginia is for lovers » has been
incidentally cited as one the most iconic campaigns of the past 50 years by the
magazine Ad Age.

The first
territorial branding campaign for the State of Virginia, from 1969 until now

« I love NY
» : who isn’t aware of this logo/tagline that is now so cult that other cities
have imitated it (I love SF, I love LA, …), as well as numerous brands ? (The
French bank La Banque Postale used it to promote one of its savings accounts
options for instance).

This symbol
turned into a genuine cultural icon has become a Holy Grail for most of the
cities in the world : I Am-sterdam, Mad-rid about you, Only Lyon, Be Berlin,
It’s better in the Bahamas, C-Open-Hagen, …

However,
destination branding can’t be reduced to a tagline, or to a graphic
illustration : the final goal is to reveal and show the different intricate
facets of a territory, associating a functional dimension (services,
transports, architecture, …) and an emotional aspect (culture, heritage,
encounters, …) to address multiple and demanding targets. The underlying aim is
to switch paradigm and to evolve from location to destination.

What's at stake for a territorial brand

Every
country is naturally associated to a mental representation and a reputation
rooted in a mix of constituent features such as history, universities, sports teams
or its inhabitants’ personalities.

Jean-Noël
Kapferer states that “Countries are therefore names with brand power : they
have the power to influence through the spontaneous associations they evoke,
for good or ill, and through the emotions that they stir up.”

Another
look at the countries’ reputation : we learn that Russia is known for its
strawberries, Peru for the longevity of marriages and Finland as the biggest
coffee consumer in the world ! (Source : DogHouse Diaries)

One of the
major issues to deal with for branding experts is to manage to sum up the whole
bunch of evocations coming from a territory to one and only icon, which will
act as a significant symbol while conveying its values’ set ; and which will
address very distinctive private and public audiences. This symbol has to
arouse an emotion, in order to be embraced by the people that define and embody
the territory. This is the most subtle part of the task and we’ve seen London
fail at doing a good job : by dint of letting several identities and universe
live alongside, the city doesn’t know which one is right and has suffered from
an identity crisis…

At last, as
any mass consumption brand, a territory brand must draw on concrete
reasons-to-believe, to prove its promise worthy. « What is said » of a
territory is more important as what the territory says of itself. It is crucial
that the image and perceived values translate into facts, especially in the
items – the 6 As - presented in the Destination Marketing Association
International : Amenities, Attraction, Activities, Accessibility, Ancillary
services, Available packages.

Defining new borders

Mainly
motivated by economic purposes, some cities rally around one strong and unique
brand – supported by their city halls, their chambers of commerce or their
tourist centers – blurring thus the previously well-defined frontiers.
Saint-Etienne territory is an illustration of this trend ; its brand
positioning, visual identity and signature, as well as communications
guidelines have been developed by CBA. This type of association is challenging
since it is based on the federation of endorsers with different perspectives
and the reconciliation of plural identities around a common legitimate message.

CBA took up
the challenge of creating the identity of Haropa, a major harbor group in
France

On the
other end, some official boundaries get blast under the aegis of inhabitants
proud to promote what they consider as their spaces, showing off their local
feeling of belonging. In Paris for instance, there is a raging hype war between
SoPi (standing for South of Pigalle) and NoMa (standing for North of Marais). A
designer from Chicago decided to ally his two passions – his city and his job –
and came up with the Chicago Nieghborhoods project : an original creation for
the 77 districts of the North-American city, inspired from its own experiences
and imagination. Other neighbourhoods go even further and develop their own
identity system, targeting tourists and people from close neighbourhoods to go
out, shop, travel or live there. Georgetown in Washington D.C. is one example
amongst others.

Today more than ever, territory branding is a
complex sum of references to institutions and collective meaning and of a
personal, emotional and creative reinterpretation of a shared universe by
citizens.

CBA is part of a global network with offices in San Francisco, New York and around the world.

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